question: boat endorsement on license

[mazzgolf]

I have a question. 

In NJ, you can get "BOAT" stamped on your license - the boat endorsement. Costs an extra $18 (is there nothing NJ won't do to ring more money out of our pockets??).

I read some information on the NJSP website about it: https://www.njsp.org/marine-services/boating-safety-certificate.shtml

It says it does not replace having to have the boat safety certificate in your possession. When I first looked this up, I thought that is what it was for, but that's not it. This is for operating on non-tidal waters (mainly for 12' or larger boats running with motors larger than 10HP, though there are other more rare exceptions).

So, is this only for operating on non-tidal waters, or is there more to it?? I'm not quite sure what the purpose of this is or why most people would want it, being that you can't even operate motors >10HP on virtually all non-tidal waters/lakes in NJ (yes, I know there are a couple of those where you are allowed). Maybe someone who knows more details can shed light on the full purpose of a boat endorsement on a driver's license ?? What am I missing? 

 

 

[MikeStaten]

I had the same question and it appears that the stamp on your drivers license does nothing as you need to have the boaters safety card on you anyway.  

[hunterbob1]

20 year's ago I had an endorsement,$10,so I thought. Then they change the law. No grandfather clause. Even though I took a 6 months course of power squadrons, the state would not recognize that.You could take a 20-question opt-out test at MVC.for a year after the change though.

Hears your option

https://www.boat-ed.com

Edited August 29, 2020 by hunterbob1

[Northjerseyoutdoorsman]

Yes it is only required if you are operating a. Boat with over 10 hp on non tidal waters otherwise only your boater safety certificate is required.  If you only boat in the bay or ocean, or only use your boat on spruce run or round valley or on one of the few non hp restricted lakes and only use a 9.9 or electric trolling motor then you do not need it at all. 

Edited August 29, 2020 by Northjerseyoutdoorsman

[vdep217]

12 minutes ago, Northjerseyoutdoorsman said:

Yes it is only required if you are operating a. Boat with over 10 hp on non tidal waters otherwise only your boater safety certificate is required.  If you only boat in the bay or ocean, or only use your boat on spruce run or round valley or on one of the few non hp restricted lakes and only use a 9.9 or electric trolling motor then you do not need it at all. 

Thats how I read it but to make it more confusing dmv will not give endorsement without seeing boating saftey certicicate

[toxo]

I don't remember why but 35-40 years ago I went to the Marine Police on Lake Hopatcong and answered a few questions,paid a fee and had it added to my drivers licence.

It was before the boater safety course came out,its still on my license.

[Northjerseyoutdoorsman]

21 minutes ago, toxo said:

I don't remember why but 35-40 years ago I went to the Marine Police on Lake Hopatcong and answered a few questions,paid a fee and had it added to my drivers licence.

It was before the boater safety course came out,its still on my license.

Yep that's why just having the boat endorsement on your license doesn't replace the boater safety course card because the course wasnt  always required as it is now and there are still some people that have a boat license endorsement that haven't taken the course and don't have the card.

[vdep217]

2 minutes ago, Northjerseyoutdoorsman said:

Yep that's why just having the boat endorsement on your license doesn't replace the boater safety course card because the course wasnt  always required as it is now and there are still some people that have a boat license endorsement that haven't taken the course and don't have the card.

That should be a thing of the past.  Now every time I renew ive had to show my boating card to continue endorsement 

[Northjerseyoutdoorsman]

2 minutes ago, vdep217 said:

That should be a thing of the past.  Now every time I renew ive had to show my boating card to continue endorsement 

That's wierd I  haven't had to show it to them since I first had it added. I leave it on the boat so I definitely never had it with me at the dmv. I just renewed my license online last month and they sent me the new one with my boat and motorcycle endorsements no documents needed. 

[Batsto]

Too many rules! 

[Bearhunter]

When i took the boater safety course they told me I only need the safety course cert to operate boats with an engine of 40 hp or smaller. Anything over 40 hp requires both the the safety course cert and the endorsement on your drivers license. 

[hammer4reel]

You can’t get a boat endorsement on your NJ license without showing your boaters safety certificate .

after you have boat endorsement on your DL you don’t need to also carry the boaters cert .

 

plenty of non tidal waters in Nj that you need an endorsement for .

 

 

[Kype]

i just keep my boating safety card in my wallet. i dont have an endorsment on my DL. to many confusing laws in this state. i figure keeping the card on me is my best bet. 

i do have a motorcycle endorsment on my DL. how come we dont have to have a motorcyle safety card on us? its all stupid. and i dont loose sleep over me not having a boat endorsement on my DL. i dont care. i took the course and have my card. 

[mazzgolf]

3 hours ago, hammer4reel said:

after you have boat endorsement on your DL you don’t need to also carry the boaters cert .

That's what I *thought* this was for, and if that's true, I would get it. But the State Police Marine Services website says,

Quote

 

Q2: What is a Boat License?

A2: It is an endorsement on your New Jersey Driver’s License or ID card that allows you to operate a vessel on non-tidal waters. It is not a replacement for your Boating Safety Certificate, but an additional required document for non-tidal waters. 

 

Now, common sense would say, "If you must have a boat safety cert in order to get a DL endorsement, then if you can show the DL endorsement it stands to reason you also met the requirements for the boater's safety cert and shouldn't have to show that, too.".

But the SP Marine Services website says "it is not a replacement" for a boating safety cert. So it isn't clear to me that having the boat endorsement on the DL is good enough in case you get stopped by a CO and are asked for the boat safety cert.

I also don't get the purpose - because if all you need is to show your boat safety cert in order to get the endorsement on your license then what's the point? Why do they say "it is not a replacement" for it? There must be something extra you need to show or do to get the endorsement, no??

[hammer4reel]

5 hours ago, mazzgolf said:

That's what I *thought* this was for, and if that's true, I would get it. But the State Police Marine Services website says,

Now, common sense would say, "If you must have a boat safety cert in order to get a DL endorsement, then if you can show the DL endorsement it stands to reason you also met the requirements for the boater's safety cert and shouldn't have to show that, too.".

But the SP Marine Services website says "it is not a replacement" for a boating safety cert. So it isn't clear to me that having the boat endorsement on the DL is good enough in case you get stopped by a CO and are asked for the boat safety cert.

I also don't get the purpose - because if all you need is to show your boat safety cert in order to get the endorsement on your license then what's the point? Why do they say "it is not a replacement" for it? There must be something extra you need to show or do to get the endorsement, no??

That’s because you don’t need an endorsement when fishing tidal waters .

the boaters cert is needed on All waters in the state , both tidal and non tidal .

 

I had the endorsement for for over 40 years when they came out with the boaters Cert , they wouldn’t let  me keep it when I renewed my license without a cert . .

told them no prob , as my captains license covers everything inland to 100 miles off , thanks for saving me money as their is no need for duplicate licensing